Curved airway flat blade?!Susato fun

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Tue Nov 05, 2002 2:21 pm

The Clarkes original curved blade flat airway set-up got me thinking how this would sound in reverse on a Susato... so I filed the curved blade of my susato Dublin flat(I know,I'm a maniac)and did my guitar plectrum tweak using a yellow Jim Dunlop Tortex pick.The result?Its THE most dramatic improvement of an existing whistle by tweaking I have ever experienced.Does anyone know of any existing whistles that feature this design?

Mike

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Tue Nov 05, 2002 5:14 pm

Hi Mike, I don't know if other whistle designs have this, but I do. I did a tweak on a Susato high D VSB. I just trimmed back the blade and put in a little piece of flat plastic to do the job. It's now one of my favorite quieter whistles. Let me be delicate about this...I wasn't fond of this whisle avant-tweak. This improved the tone, while keeping that famous Susato in-tune-with-itself thing.

JohnPalmer · Post by **JohnPalmer** » Tue Nov 05, 2002 10:48 pm

THE most dramatic improvement of an existing whistle by tweaking

That's a lovely sentence!

Why don't you buy a bunch, tweak them, then sell them for a $25 profit? There are probably plenty of people on the board who are curious enough to fork over the dough. (Of course, I'd get mine for free for the suggestion.

)

JP

tin tin · Post by **tin tin** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 8:17 am

Mike,
Would you mind elaborating a little on what you used to file down the blade and how you went about doing this? It sounds like a promising tweak...I've had some recent success with some silly putty on my Susato; something more permanent would be nice.
Micah

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 8:41 am

Mike, does the tweak make the whistle quieter? Any effect on chiff or breathiness?

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 10:36 am

Thanks John...its a good idea and definately worth some thought

Micah,I used a small flat mill file to do this.Ater filing it should resemble the Alba whistle style blade..just trim the edge with a hobby knife to reveal the curvature.The overlay positioning will require some experimentation to locate the optimum depth and angle..I used blue tack for this,a very small amount is enough to hold the new blade in position and when you are satisfied a few drops of superglue will hold it in position.Good luck and good tweaking.

Ridsheard,the tone is very sweet and complex,has good satisfying chiff and exhibits a great 2nd oct with less volume and shrillness.The new tone is so diferent from its former sound,comparisons to quality whistles with flat narrow airways are no exageration. mike

[ This Message was edited by: mike.r on 2002-11-06 11:41 ]

johnbunch · Post by **johnbunch** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 9:00 am

Mike,

This sounds very interesting. Is there any chance you could post a few pictures of the final results and a sound file?

Thanks!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 9:32 am

On 2002-11-05 23:48, JohnPalmer wrote:
THE most dramatic improvement of an existing whistle by tweaking
That's a lovely sentence!

Why don't you buy a bunch, tweak them, then sell them for a $25 profit? There are probably plenty of people on the board who are curious enough to fork over the dough. (Of course, I'd get mine for free for the suggestion. )

JP

Seriously. I know I would consider buying something like this, if the price were not TOO dear.

Redwolf

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Sat Nov 09, 2002 2:12 pm

I have an update on this tweak.I figured out a way to attach the replacement blade(now in black) without the use of any sort of adhesive..it simply "clips" in for easy removal to allow fine adjustment and positioning over a few days if needed before committing to a more permanent seating.I now have three improved susatos,two D's and a C and they all sound magnificent.I'll try and organize some way to post some photos..I'm sorry,I'm just not set up to do this at this time.Redwolf if you , or indeed anyone else,are interested in aquiring one of these please contact me via private message box with your Email adress and we'll sort something out.

Mike

[ This Message was edited by: mike.r on 2002-11-09 15:17 ]

CDon · Post by **CDon** » Tue Nov 12, 2002 6:44 pm

Mike, in the absence of a photo (I understand that), could you elaborate a bit on the size and shape of the clip-in replacement blade. Is it just slightly wide and held in by simple friction on the 'sides' of the original ramp?

tin tin · Post by **tin tin** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 8:43 am

I gave my Susato C the treatment described above, and, as described by Mike, the effect was pretty radical...nice sound! I tried it first with a piece of a business card, and that sounded incredible--better than the medium guitar pick I finally used, so perhaps thinner is better. Paper, of course, isn't quite durable enough, but maybe a really thin quitar pick might work well.
Micah

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 9:48 am

On 2002-11-12 19:44, CDon wrote:
Mike, in the absence of a photo (I understand that), could you elaborate a bit on the size and shape of the clip-in replacement blade. Is it just slightly wide and held in by simple friction on the 'sides' of the original ramp?

CDon,this is correct..begin with a slightly oversized clip-in blade and reduce it until a precise fit is achieved without forcing it.This is not as easy as it sounds and it took some time to get it exactly right.After a few days when you are satisfied with the positioning, simply pivote the back of the blade slightly upward and insert a drop of superglue and press back into position.Size and positioning should be a little more than 50% of the window area but making it longer helps in handleing, positioning and beveling the blade edge(critical!)...I do this on the underside as well as the top and experimentation and care is the key here for that killer tone.The surplus can be cut away later on. Good tweaking! :)Mike

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 9:55 am

Hehehe. I can't wait to take a file to my Susatos. (Haven't I often stolen glances at the hacksaw when playing them?)

Do you think the type of plectrum is critical? I am no expert there. Thanks for this tip, Mike.

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 9:56 am

On 2002-11-14 09:43, Micah wrote:
I gave my Susato C the treatment described above, and, as described by Mike, the effect was pretty radical...nice sound! I tried it first with a piece of a business card, and that sounded incredible--better than the medium guitar pick I finally used, so perhaps thinner is better. Paper, of course, isn't quite durable enough, but maybe a really thin quitar pick might work well.
Micah

Congratulations !I like the "Tortex" picks because of the extremely thin rigidity they offer... .73mm is about right for me.

Mike

[ This Message was edited by: mike.r on 2002-11-14 11:32 ]

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Jan 16, 2003 4:52 pm

Reviving an old thread, here.

I picked up a bunch of the thinnest tortex picks (red) the other day. Now that the GenSindt is up, I can feel my Susatos quaking in their drawer....

But where the Proust do I get a really small flat file? Are they the ones called jeweller's files?

[edited to take out the reflection on YOU.]

_________________
/bloomfield

[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2003-01-16 17:53 ]